Continuity
Continuity of care is fundamental to high-quality care.
In its absence, fragmented care results in more ED visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. Especially among those who are already at a greater risk.
Continuity, like unity and generosity, is a human invention.
It doesn’t just happen; you have to make it happen despite what may happen: renegotiations, practice closures, provider turnovers, changes in insurance, new models of ambulatory care (retail clinics, commercial e-visit websites, smartphone apps, freestanding urgent care centers), and the inability of a provider to administer certain drugs.
